Oar horns are provided for receiving and supporting an oar on the side of a boat. A prior art oar horn 100 is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The oar horn 100 includes an oar receiving ring 102 fixed to a shank 104. The shank 104 is constructed for mating with a socket fixedly mounted to a side 200 (FIG. 2) of a rowboat. The ring 102 generally includes a substantially circular through-hole 108 through which an oar 106 is threaded. In operation, the ring 102 and shank 104 are rotatably mounted in the socket so that the oar can be moved back and forth through a rowing cycle, as is known in the art.
Prior art oar horns that have a substantially circular through-hole, such as that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, result in the oar 106 resting at the bottom of the through-hole 108. Accordingly, the oar is loosely supported at only one point in the through-hole. This results in the oar ratcheting out of the oar horn and working its way toward the center of the boat as the oars are moved back and forth through the rowing cycle. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an oar horn that provides improved support to the oar to prevent ratcheting of the oar as they are moved through the rowing cycle.
Other prior art oar horns, similar in construction to the oar horn 100, have been provided with a pivoting pin that is threaded through the oar 106 and is fixed to the ring 102 so that the oar is pivotally fixed to the ring of the oar horn. While these oar horns provide a good hold on the oar to prevent ratcheting, they are undesirable since each oar must be provided with its own oar horn and since the oar horn cannot be removed from the oar. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an oar horn that securely receives an oar to prevent ratcheting and that does not require a fixed relationship between the oar and oar horn.
With further reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the prior art oar horn 100 illustrated only permits the oar 106 to be adjusted to a maximum angle of approximately 23 degrees with respect to the horizon. This angle, referred to as the angle of attack to water, is preferably maximized so that the oar horn can be used with boats having a high free-board or with shorter oars. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an oar horn that permits a maximum angle of attack to water.